TOWER GROVE — A day after watching on television as Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen riddled the Houston Astros with sinister curveballs for his fourth save of the season — another in a line of what were no-sweat saves — I was in Houston and asked Isringhausen why so many curves?

“I think it was only five,” Isringhausen said. “Not that many. But now if it jinxes me, I know who to blame. If it’s going…

DENVER — After a meeting with the Cardinals team doctor Wednesday morning, lefthanded starter Mark Mulder will be shut down for at least a week to calm what’s being called a “mild rotator cuff strain”, the team announced in a press release this afternoon.

Mulder experienced what was described as “shoulder fatigue” during his start Monday in Memphis. He was scheduled for one start on his rehab assignment, and then the Cardinals were going to…

DENVER — Cardinals lefty Mark Mulder is on his way to St. Louis — not to throw a bullpen or workout at the facilities at Busch Stadium, but to meet with the team’s doctor about his twice surgically repaired left shoulder.

Manager Tony La Russa said in the debriefing of Mulder’s rehab start Monday night in Memphis it mentioned the lefty “felt some shoulder fatigue.” Mulder will meet with Dr. George Paletta on Wednesday morning…

SOUTH GRAND — Starting with a possible trade partner that probably doesn’t have what the Cardinals are looking for and ending with a question about the chances of a fan-favorite outfielder trying on an infielder’s glove, this week’s edition of the mailbag is loaded with all manner of things middle infield.

Oh, and there is also an advocacy of a four-man rotation.

Reliever Russ Springer is back. Rico Washington gave everyone a great story. And…

DOWNTOWN — Taped on the door into manager Tony La Russa’s office is an advertisement ripped from a magazine and featuring Chris Carpenter delivering a pitch. La Russa had the same 8 1/2-by-11-inch picture stuck on his door down in spring training and he insisted on bringing the picture up north with him.

La Russa calls it “a reminder.”

The manager said Carpenter is a personification of what’s coming and what has to be accomplished for he arrives….

TOWER GROVE – The PostCards inbin was overrun with spam and the Cyrillic alphabet – who knew four years of Russian would help me wade through questions for a baseball mailbag? спасибо Большое. One email that had the subject line: “Thanks Houston/We Have Liftoff!”

Thought for sure that was a love letter to Brandon Backe. But no.

It was a religious group’s mass email with a space travel pun. Houston? Liftoff? Getit? Dah. (Just wait until…

JUPITER, Fla. — Still bothered by muscle discomfort in his ribcage, Cardinals shortstop Brendan Ryan will remain in Florida after the team leaves for its two-game trip to Springfield, Mo. The club is packing a couple different options as insurance.

Ryan had to cut short his work in the batting cages Wednesday, manager Tony La Russa disclosed Thursday morning. Ryan is allowed to participate in activities “as tolerated”, and he had no hesitation during baserunning drills this morning. But…

JUPITER, Fla. — The Cardinals placed seven players Tuesday on the disabled list for the opening week of the regular season, but the list was noteworthy for who wasn’t on it as much as who was.

Brendan Ryan was not placed on the disabled list and the Cardinals believe that he could be ready for opening day despite the lost time because of soreness in his right rib cage.

“He’s feeling better,” GM John Mozeliak said….

JUPITER, Fla. — The Cardinals raced the rain by rescheduling their minor league games for early Saturday morning. They had more than quick games, they made quick work of the Marlins’ affiliates and swept all five games.

Nobody worked quicker or more effectively than Mitchell Boggs. The righthander came to spring training as one of the young pitchers the organization wanted to get a look at in a big-league setting. He was also one of…

JUPITER, Fla. — Cardinals starter Mark Mulder passed another mile marker in his lengthy trek back to the rotation by throwing batting practice to three minor leaguers early Saturday morning. The lefty threw 30 pitches and improved tremendously from the first batch of 15 to the second.

“I could come away and say my command wasn’t very good but I didn’t really think it was going to be,” Mulder said. ”Did I make a handful of…